African Nations Charged to Eliminate Hepatitis by 2030

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Executive Vice President Diagnostics, Africa, at Roche Diagnostics, Dr Allan Pamba has tasked African countries to unite and stop Hepatitis as a public health treat by 2030.

He made the plead in a statement on Friday, noting the objective can be achieved with timely testing, affordable treatment and coordinated leadership.

He also urged African nations to prioritise domestic funding and partnerships that maximise what they already had.

The Roche Diagnostics senior executive described viral hepatitis as one of the least understood infectious diseases which is more pronounced than many people realise.

He said that open conversations were needed because in 2022 in Africa over 300,000 people died from hepatitis B and C with most unaware that they were infected.

“The good news is that death from hepatitis need not be inevitable. It is within our power to halt the progression of these somewhat lesser-known viruses, and that begins with discussing them. While hepatitis A, B and C share some overlapping symptoms, they are caused by different viruses. Mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B is particularly common in highly endemic areas, and the virus affects a cross-section of people, regardless of their lifestyle choices – different strains can be transmitted in distinct ways.

“The only way to confirm the type of hepatitis a patient has is through a blood test, which is essential for guiding appropriate treatment. Left undetected, hepatitis can lead to serious long-term health issues, including liver disease and cancer. It’s estimated that various strains of hepatitis have evolved alongside humanity for millennia. But we have reached a turning point – a fork in the road that presents us with the opportunity to part ways with hepatitis,” Pamba said.

Pamba noted that Africa has examples of what are possible, including the science and the tools, when it acts decisively.

He referenced Egypt as the first country in the world to achieve the World Health Organization’s “Gold Tier” status on the path to eliminating hepatitis C (HCV), attained through a bold, government-led hepatitis C elimination campaign dubbed “100 million Healthy Lives”, launched in 2018, that made screening and treatment processes accessible, inexpensive and convenient for all Egyptians.

According to him, with the backing of the World Bank and integrated diagnostics, Egypt screened over 60 million people and treated more than four million over five years.

He said: “Since the launch of the 100 Million Healthy Lives initiative, the country has effectively contained HCV. The lesson here is simple: scale works when the right strategic partnerships and political will are mobilised.

“Nigeria has also taken significant steps forward, partnering with civil society and private sector organisations to expand hepatitis B Birth Dose Vaccination and continuing to work toward broader diagnostic coverage.

“So, if such monumental mobilisation and success are possible, why has hepatitis not been eliminated across the continent yet? The truth is, hepatitis often isn’t on the radar, even when systems and tools are already in place, and in many cases, countries already have molecular testing platforms used for HIV, TB, and COVID-19 — platforms that can also be used for hepatitis B and C testing.⁵ It’s not even about reinventing the wheel. It’s about prioritising domestic funding and partnerships that maximise what we already have”.

Pamba also called for the training of healthcare workers with the latest WHO guidelines and push policy to match the urgency of the epidemic, adding that partnership was the common denominator in every country where progress had been made.